Significance

Current tissue manufacturing methods fail to recapitulate the geometry, complexity, and longevity of human tissues. We report a multimaterial 3D bioprinting method that enables the creation of thick human tissues (>1 cm) replete with an engineered extracellular matrix, embedded vasculature, and multiple cell types. These 3D vascularized tissues can be actively perfused with growth factors for long durations (>6 wk) to promote differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells toward an osteogenic lineage in situ. The ability to construct and perfuse 3D tissues that integrate parenchyma, stroma, and endothelium is a foundational step toward creating human tissues for ex vivo and in vivo applications.

Abstract

The advancement of tissue and, ultimately, organ engineering requires the ability to pattern human tissues composed of cells, extracellular matrix, and vasculature with controlled microenvironments that can be sustained over prolonged time periods. To date, bioprinting methods have yielded thin tissues that only survive for short durations. To improve their physiological relevance, we report a method for bioprinting 3D cell-laden, vascularized tissues that exceed 1 cm in thickness and can be perfused on chip for long time periods (>6 wk). Specifically, we integrate parenchyma, stroma, and endothelium into a single thick tissue by coprinting multiple inks composed of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and human neonatal dermal fibroblasts (hNDFs) within a customized extracellular matrix alongside embedded vasculature, which is subsequently lined with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). These thick vascularized tissues are actively perfused with growth factors to differentiate hMSCs toward an osteogenic lineage in situ. This longitudinal study of emergent biological phenomena in complex microenvironments represents a foundational step in human tissue generation.

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